POPSUGAR Celebrity

Dad Locks Himself in a Car to Send an Important Message

Jul 14 2014 - 8:31am

On a scorching Summer day, Terry Williams got in his car but didn't roll down the windows or crank the AC. Instead, the North Carolina father sat in the driver's seat, sweat dripping down his face, to show parents what it's like to be left in a steamy car.

"I'm sweating [and] I can barely breathe out here," Williams says. "But my system is stronger than these little kids' systems." Williams' video, which has reached more than 1 million viewers, acts as a PSA about the dangers of leaving children in the car. Not that parents need reminding. This year alone, 17 children have died [1] after being left in a car on a hot day. Yet despite the daily heartbreaking headlines, some parents still forget to check the backseat before they leave the car. As Williams so bluntly says, "Don't be the next fool on the damn news talking about [how] you left your kids in the backseat."